Replies

1. 
   bones | Dec 13, 2004 07:28pm | #1

   Not all saws have a round arbor. I still have my fathers old worm drive skil saw (older than dirt and weighs a ton), and It requires a diamond arbor blade. When I last bought a blade for it, I had to knock the insert out.  If you have a blade that has one knocked out and you want to move it to a round arbor, you can purchase an insert tab at most big boxes to fix the problem.  Take care.

2. 
   Len | Dec 13, 2004 07:30pm | #2

   Some saws have a matching diamond on the arbor shaft. My old Skil sidewinder was that way. If your saw happened to be like that then all you had to knock out the hole to use the diamond cutout.

    

   Hi, I'm Len and I'm a Toolaholic...
3. 
   EdHarrow | Dec 13, 2004 07:31pm | #3

   To fit "Dumpster Sally"  my Skil 8.25 that I hauled out of the dumpster.  Actually, I think all the Skil worm-drives, and Bosch derivatives, use a diamond drive, at least I've not seen one that didn't.

   As to why they use the diamond, rather than round, don't know, could be cuz they put out the torque of a small-block Chevie, LOL.   Could be, in the begining, only they made blades with a diamond cut-out, so they had a locked in market until the patent ran out, and then stuck with it.   

   
4. 
   user-5880422 | Dec 14, 2004 04:56am | #4

   because the triangle knockouts were already taken

5. 
   nikkiwood | Dec 14, 2004 06:29pm | #5

   I know all the Skil worm drives use the diamond knockout, and other worm drives may as well.

   I have always assumed the reason is to keep the blade from spinning -- if your cut is not exactly straight on. If you're cutting 2 X 12s, for example, and you don't get the cut started just right, you can adjust the saw -- and with worm drives, the blade keeps moving -- whereas sidewinders (with a round arbor) will usually bog down. Then you have to pull the saw back and start again.

1. 
   JoeWood | Dec 15, 2004 03:42am | #6

   Ed, take that silly thing off of your poor dawg, can't you see she's embarrased as all get out ? [:o)

1. 
   EdHarrow | Dec 15, 2004 04:58pm | #8

   I gotta tell you that was one of his more embarrassing times.  I kept telling him it was an Elizabethan Collar ;-)

   At least, courtesy of Steinmetz, we have an answer to the question that at least sounds plausible.

   Edited 12/15/2004 8:59 am ET by EdHarrow

6. 
   Steinmetz | Dec 15, 2004 06:28am | #7

   gj, most older circular saws had round holes. (In use by the wrong hands) which seized up when the bolt was over tightened or as a result of the spinning blade encountering a hard knot or twisted grain.

   The blade would hang up , but the motor kept on keeping on . The bolt would wind up tighter 'n a clam's #%% (Which everyone knows ,is waterproof)

   Skill designed the diamond shaft bushing to eliminate 'hung up' saws and having to use visegrips to further mutilate the fine tools.

   By the way, save those knock outsW when attachedto the tablesaw's arbor in stacks and fanned out, they make nice dado blades (Just kidding)

   Steinmetz